Culture Shock

Demetrius Doctor Trio draws inspiration from images in the Gibbes next Wed. July 19

Art inspiring art

The Gibbes Museum gets jazzy on July 19 with the Demetrius Doctor Trio, the second concert in the Art of Jazz series. A collaboration between the Gibbes and Charleston Jazz, the three-concert series features music inspired by the museum’s currently displayed works.

“This series is all about artists inspiring artists,” says Mary Beth Natarajan, executive director at Charleston Jazz. “We’re discovering that collaboration between different art forms brings a new energy and excitement to a performance which inspires artists and audience members alike.”

Headlined by pianist Demetrius Doctor, the trio also features LaVontá Green on bass and David Patterson on drums. The three Charleston natives draw on their childhoods in African American churches, blending Gullah/Geechee infused music with the structures of jazz.

Each original composition in the band’s five-song set list draws inspiration from a currently displayed work of art. Sources include Jacob Lawrence’s “Accident,” Henry Botkin’s “No ‘Count Boys,” and Alfred Hutty’s “Jenkins Band (No. 2).”

Beginning on June 14 with the The Duda Lucena Trio, Art of Jazz is the latest step in Charleston Jazz’s promotion of jazz music across the lowcountry. Past partners have included the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry with Jazz Day for Kids and the Lieber Correctional Institute with Jazz in the Joint.

“My home town of Dayton, Ohio, had fabulous jazz concerts at the Dayton Art Institute,” Natarajan said. “After the Gibbes Museum completed its renovation, we thought it was the perfect time to approach the Gibbes with the idea of a jazz series.”

Tickets are $15 for members, $20 for non-members, and $10 for students and faculty with a valid ID, and the show runs from 6-7 p.m. The final show will be held on Wed. Aug. 16.